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Home -> 5785 -> Chukas

זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל

Sruly Schnair
In Chukas, 5785

This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent. (19:14)

Chazal famously derive a deeper, homiletic l miskayeim esson from this pasuk. The Gemorah (Berachos 63b), states: Ein divrei Torah ela b’mi she’meimis atzmo aleha, “The words of Torah are upheld only by one who ‘kills’ himself over it.” This metaphor refers to the self-sacrifice one must be willing to expend for the sake of Torah study. Meimis atzmo aleha means dedication, diligence, abnegating comforts and worldly pleasures, all for the purpose of Torah study, its understanding and internalization. True growth requires a form of self-sacrifice, whereby one “kills” his personal desires in pursuit of spiritual achievement. Famous Torah scholars…

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Home -> 5785 -> Chukas

קח את אהרן ואת אלעזר בנו והעל אתם הר ההר

Sruly Schnair
In Chukas, 5785

Take Aharon and Elazar, his son, and bring the up to Har HaHor. (20:25)

How is Moshe to “take” Aharon on his last journey? True, his time to return his lofty soul to its Heavenly Source had come. Aharon was not a person who lived in this world. He was a Himmel mentch, one who lived in the Heavens Above, one who was very comfortable in his ruchniyos, spirituality. To him, death was truly traversing the gesher ha’chaim, bridge of life, from this world to life in the Heavenly sphere. Yet, Moshe had to convince/comfort him with words. Rashi says b’divrei nichumim, comforting words. What were these words? What could Moshe convey to Aharon…

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Home -> 5785 -> Chukas

ויראו כל העדה כי גווע אהרן ויבכו את אהרן שלשים יום כל בית ישראל

Sruly Schnair
In Chukas, 5785

When the entire assembly saw that Aharon had perished, they wept for Aharon thirty days, the entire Bais Yisrael. (20:29)

Aharon HaKohen was niftar, and all of Klal Yisrael mourned his passing. Rashi underscores the fact that all of Klal Yisrael mourned, because he touched the lives of all Jews. As the paragon of peaceful coexistence, as the ohaiv shalom v’rodef shalom, one who loved peace and pursued peace, he made it his goal to encourage people to get along. At the slightest whiff of discord between friends, between husband and wife, Aharon was present to patch things up and convince the two parties to move one with life and live together in peace. Thus, when he died, everyone sorely…

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Home -> 5785 -> Korach

כי כל העדה כלם קדושים ובתוכם ד' ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5785

For the entire assembly – all of them – are holy and Hashem is among them. Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem? (16:3)

Korach had all the answers. After all, he stipulated that he was acting l’shem Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven. He had no envy. He cared about the people, and they required a change in leadership. Chazal (Pirkei Avos 5:11) distinguish between: a machlokes, controversy, whose goal is to seek the truth and raise the banner of Hashem, a machlokes l’shem Shomayim; and one which is for personal benefit, she’lo l’shem Shomayim. Rambam writes that the words of he whose goal is the truth, unembellished and unvarnished, will have a kiyum, endure. Horav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zl, explains that the Rambam…

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Home -> 5785 -> Korach

ואם בריאה וברא ד' ופצתה האדמה את פיה ובלע אותם

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5785

But if Hashem will create a phenomenon, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them. (16:30)

Moshe Rabbeinu’s reaction to the sinful rebellion of Korach and his followers is atypical of our quintessential leader. This was the not first time the Jewish People had rebelled. First, it was the sin of the Golden Calf, which consisted of idol worship accompanied by licentious revelry. Nonetheless, Moshe asked Hashem to forgive them. Then came the meraglim, the princes who left as spies and returned as rebellious usurpers. We observe Tishah B’Av, our national day of mourning, thanks to their scurrilous report and the people’s inexcusable reaction. Once again, Moshe asked Hashem to accept their sincere repentance. Concerning Korach,…

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Home -> 5785 -> Korach

וילונו כל עדת בני ישראל ממחרת על משה ועל אהרן לאמר אתם המתים את עם ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5785

The entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael complained on the morrow against Moshe and Aharon, saying, “You have killed the People of Hashem!” (17:6)

Leveling the complaint at Moshe and Aharon is ludicrous. The people saw how miraculously the ground had opened up beneath the usurpers, swallowing them before returning to its normal state. Moshe and Aharon were probably just as surprised as the people. They all saw the fire that burned the 250 men who had prepared and offered the incense. Clearly, Moshe and Aharon played no role in their deaths. Furthermore, why are these men referred to as Am Hashem, the people of G-d? They certainly were not acting very much like members of the Jewish People. Horav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Shlita,…

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Home -> 5785 -> Korach

ונתתם ממנו את תרומת ד' לאהרן הכהן

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5785

And you shall give from it a gift of Hashem to Aharon HaKohen. (18:28)

Chazal (Sanhedrin 90b) prove from the above pasuk that Techiyas Ha’Meisim, the Resurrection of the Dead, is supported min haTorah. The Torah enjoins the people to give their Terumah to Aharon HaKohen. Will Aharon live forever? He did not even enter into the Holy Land. This teaches us that he will one day be resurrected, and Klal Yisrael will again give him their Terumah. In Kovetz Maamarim (Onsham shel baalei middos megunos), Horav Elchonon Wasserman, zl, cites Chazal (Kesubos 111b) who teach that Techiyas Ha’Meisim has one criterion that should not be ignored. Unless one studies/has studied Torah or supported…

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Home -> 5785 -> Shelach

כלם אנשים ראשי בני ישראל המה

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5785

They were all distinguished men, heads of Bnei Yisrael, were they. (13:4)

Parshiyos Shelach and Korach reveal Jewish leaders who fell from greatness to infamy. The Torah’s portrayal of the downfall of these leaders teaches us that no one is immune to failure, and even the most spiritually elevated must always be vigilant. One must scrutinize every change in behavior, in attitude, however minute, before it becomes a blatant flaw. Our parshah begins with the story of the meraglim, Nesiim, princes of the tribes, handpicked by Moshe Rabbeinu. Yet, their fear and self-destructive perception of Eretz Yisrael led to their personal downfalls, causing an entire generation to lose its opportunity to enter…

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Home -> 5785 -> Shelach

כלם אנשים ראשי בני ישראל המה

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5785

They were all distinguished men, heads of Bnei Yisrael, were they. (13:4)

It happens: A leader to whom we have looked up, who, for all intents and purposes, has been the paragon of virtue — sins egregiously. It is not supposed to happen, because part of virtue is maintenance. A person — regardless of his exalted spiritual level — must work on himself constantly, or he will fail. Spiritual ascension is dynamic; if one takes a break to “enjoy the scenery,” he might become part of it. Rashi says that the meraglim, spies, were keshairim, kosher, righteous Jews — at first. Then something occurred which overwhelmed them, and they plummeted from their…

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Home -> 5785 -> Shelach

ויהס כלב את העם אל משה

Sruly Schnair
In Shelach, 5785

Kalev hushed the people toward Moshe. (13:30)

Rashi explains that when Kalev cried out, “Is it this alone that the son of Amram has done to us?” he caught the people off guard. When they heard this declaration, equating his rebuke of Moshe Rabbeinu as the “son of Amram,” in a seemingly degrading manner, they thought for certain that Kalev was coming out in support of a rebellion. They all became silent to listen to what he had to say. It was not what they expected to hear. Instead, he sang Moshe’s praises, relating his positive accomplishments for the people. One wonders what Kalev accomplished by this…

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